There have been several attempts at cultivating a comedy scene in Boulder, with mixed results. This showcase at the Dairy Center is off to a great start, though, with a few Boulder comics as well as such recognizable Denver talent as Jodee Champion and trans-comedian Jordan Wieleba. We know there are some funny minds in Boulder and with more events like this, we should start hearing more from them.

Stealing the hearts of the "geek" phenomenon in the mid-2000s with his Dylanesque guitar and harmonica accompanying Hedberg-like micro-jokes, Demetri Martin has sustained our attention well beyond his time on The Daily Show and his 2009 Comedy Central series, Important Things With Demetri Martin. If you're ready for some deadpan observational humor from a shaggy-haired loner who looks half his age (39), this will be a good ticket to impress that barista with the asymetrical haircut you've been crushing on.

6 p.m. Sunday, March 24 at Comedy Works South, 5345 Landmark Place in Greenwood Village, www.comedyworks.com

8. Nick Thune at Comedy Works, March 7-10

Somewhat more forthright and personable than Demetri Martin, Nick Thune falls into the similar category of tiger-beat hipster with a guitar delivering smashing one-liners. Don't dismiss him as a trend for college sophomores and closeted suburbanites, though: Thune's concise jokes, killer timing and dark worldview make for an ab-cramping good time.

Thursday, March 7 through March 10 at Comedy Works, 1226 15th Street, www.comedyworks.com

7. John Heffron at Comedy Works South, March 14-16

Connecting with Gen X'ers on subjects that often fly over the heads of Millenials, John Heffron is an old-school comedian with none of the concepts or frills of the previous two entries. The winner of Last Comic Standing season two, Heffron's success continues to aid his life-long commitment to never perform physical labor.

Between this weekly debate show and his pop-culture podcast, These Things Matter, Kevin O'Brien stands apart in Denver's comedy scene with his obscure references and assertive on-stage presence (whatever you do, don't get caught talking during his set). As the host of Arguments and Grievances, O'Brien holds together an unpredictable show where local comics debate the merits of such pressing topics as Baths vs. Showers, Tom & Jerry vs. Ren & Stimpy or this lineup of Troy Walker and Bobby Crane taking on St. Patrick's Dav vs. Cinco De Mayo.

5. Greater Than Social Club with Adam Cayton-Holland and Bad Weather California (a benefit for Mike Marchant) at Lannie's Clocktower, March 6

More than just a treasure of the Denver music scene, Mike Marchant is an all-round beloved individual, as evidenced by the consistent and overwhelming support he's received since the news broke of his lymphoma diagnosis. This benefit show is one of several fundraisers for the uninsured Marchant -- but the medical bills are piling up. Not to mention, it has a pretty bad-ass lineup of big-name locals.

Unforgettable as the hyper-mouthed spaz-attack in Friday, enchanting as the gender-bending sci-fi dandy in The Fifth Element and humiliatingly accurate as the prototypical American counterpart to Jackie Chan in the Rush Hour series, Chris Tucker has become a national icon of comedy, his high-pitched one-liners repeated by comedy fans for two generations running. First entering the public consciousness in 1992 with his appearance on HBO's Def Comedy Jam, Tucker returned to standup in 2011, with a brief sidetrack to co-star in the recent Oscar-buzz dramady Silver Linings Playbook.

As the star of Super High Me and The Marijuana-Logues, Doug Benson's return to a post-legalized Denver will surely be a cause for celebration from all the red-eyed and giggly comedy fans who populate this town. You can either catch his set on Saturday March 9 (at 4:20 brah!) or be a part of the live taping of his Doug Loves Movies podcast on Sunday.

Hey, remember the '90s? Of course you do, because we just reminded you about Chris Tucker. And while you've got your sentimental side engaged, surely you've got a memory or two of watching Loveline on MTV tucked away somewhere. Whether you were an over-curious pre-teen with the sound turned down so Mom wouldn't hear or a sincere college student needing advice on how to ask your boyfriend if he was responsible for that new rash you just got, Loveline's Adam Carolla and Dr. Drew Pinsky offered a charming mix of straight-talk advice from a fatherly doctor and cynical humor from a detached libertine. And those special types of people who get nostalgic for the not-so-distant past will revel at the reunion of this contrasting duo. Check out our recent interview with Adam Carolla for some further insight into his coldly practical worldview.

"A bun in the oven is cute . . . but a baby in the oven is terrifying," Ben Kronberg said during a recent appearance on John Oliver's New York Standup show, creepily delivering the line with the mild amusement of a man who has a body in the trunk of his car. "And if you get a young girl pregnant, it's like a bun in the Easy-Bake Oven." Returning to Denver for the first time in a year, this hometown hero of the local comedy community will be arriving fresh off the recent taping of his half-hour Comedy Central special. While we all cheer on the momentum of his career in New York, Ben Kronberg will always hold a special place in the local scene -- whether for his "Because I'm a Racist" electro music bit, or his old closing act where he daydreams of fellacio martyrdom through intercepting and swallowing the procreative juices that were intended to make baby George W. Bush.

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